Author: Crockett Johnson
Plot Summary: Harold decides, “after thinking it over for some time,” to take a walk in the moonlight. No moon is out, so Harold takes his purple crayon and draws one, and then he draws something to walk on. Harold goes on to draw a forest in which he wanders, a dragon that ends up frightening him, an ocean in which he almost drowns and a boat which saves him, a beach, a lunch to eat, and so on.
Posted In: Epistemology, Metaphysics

Discussion Questions
  • Is Harold pretending?
  • Is what Harold draws real?
  • How can what Harold draws scare him?
  • Is the moon we see more real than Harold’s moon—if so, why?
  • Is Harold dreaming?
  • Can we create our own reality, or do we do so without even know it?
  • Would we want to create our own realities?